Four suspects arrested after Central Texas children found covered in feces

MART, Texas -- Four adults were arrested in Mart Thursday afternoon after three children were found covered in dog feces, according to police.

Author:
Stephen Adams

Published:
12:17 PM CDT July 14, 2017

Updated:
6:10 PM CDT July 14, 2017

MART, Texas -- Four adults were arrested in Mart Thursday afternoon after three children were found covered in dog feces, according to police.

Mart Police first visited the house -- located at 512 E Bowie Street -- after receiving a complaint Tuesday that it was an "eye sore," according to law enforcement. A nearby resident complained there was an odor, trash piled in the yard, a moldy pool, and empty alcohol containers strewn across the yard, according to the arrest affidavit.

Police arrived and made contact with Doyle Cross, 62, who officers told had 10 days to clean up the property to comply with city ordinances. Police also submitted a Child Protective Services report for the house, prompting a welfare check.

When CPS officials arrived, they said they were denied access to the home and called police for back-up. When officers arrived, they were again met by Cross who did not identify himself, said he would not tell them anything without a warrant and denied them entry to the home, according to the affidavit. At that point, Cross was arrested.

Another man, Darious Johnson, 24, then exited the house and told police he lived there and had his young daughter in the home with him -- but also refused the officers entry, according to the arrest affidavit. At that point two other suspects, Jana Fisher and Wesley Stanford, showed up, police said.

Mart Police Chief Paul Cardenas and Officer Jake Willett then entered the house and escorted out three children, who appeared to be covered in dog feces, according to the affidavit. Additionally, Jana Fisher's two boys -- ages one and two -- were both in saggy, dirty diapers and had blisters on their shoulders from what appeared to be third degree burns, the affidavit stated. The third child, who did not have burns listed in the arrest affidavit, had turned two-years-old that day.

"When Mrs. Fisher was asked why the kids were burnt, she stated they were out in the sun with insufficient sunscreen protection and became sunburnt," the affidavit said.

Mart Police said they immediately arrested the other three adults for child neglect and endangerment. All four suspects were transported to the McLennan County Jail and booked.

MUG SHOTS: Four adults arrested for child neglect in Mart

Doyle Cross

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Doyle Cross

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"The condition of the home was nauseating," the affidavit said. "All officers entering the home gagged at the smell present upon entry. There appeared to be dog feces on the furniture, beds, and floors. Most of the feces was smeared in, which was most likely what the children were covered in."

At least four dogs were found inside, according to police.

Case workers cleaned the children with wipes and took them into CPS custody, according to police.